By Davut Colak
COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AA): Activists of a far-right group burned a copy of the Qur’an and unfurled a banner saying “Europe is ours” in the Danish capital to protest against the iftar (fast-breaking) gathering of Muslims on Saturday.
Members of Stram Kurs — anti-immigrant and anti-Islamic party — tried to provoke people by burning a copy of Qur’an during the iftar gathering at the city’s square.
The protesters unfurled banners saying “Europe is ours” and chanted Islamophobic slogans from a balcony of a hotel seeing the city square, as the Muslims were having their fast-breaking meals.
Police removed the banners and dispersed protesters from the scene.
The far-right activists broadcasted their actions live on YouTube.
The iftar ended under heavy security and was attended by nearly 2,000 people.
On its website, Stram Kurs maintains that “Islam must be banned in Denmark”, and that anyone “non-western” with a residence permit should have their “license cancelled and be expelled”.
A week earlier, he was filmed walking into Copenhagen’s Nørrebro neighbourhood, an area with a high immigrant population, where he repeatedly threw a copy of the Qur’an in the air, allowing it to hit the ground.
Rasmus Paludan, the founder of the far-right party, has spent the past months touring Denmark and staging offensive protests against Muslims and immigrants, often in neighborhoods with large immigrant populations.
* Writing by Dilara Hamit
Additional report by The Muslim News
[Map of Denmerk by Da-map.png/ CIA World Factbook/ Public Domain]